Vapor recovery dome for use in filling tanks with volatile liquids



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JNVENToRs United States Patent O VAPOR RECOVERY DOME FOR USE IN FILLING TANKS WITH VOLATILE LIQUIDS Grover C. Brown and Albert H. Tompkins, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Superior Tank & Construction Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California This invention relates to improvements in vapor recovery domes for use in filling tanks with volatile liquids and may be regarded as an improvement over the construction disclosed in our prior application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 448,080, filed August 5, 1954, now abandoned.

Explanatory of the present invention, in the course of filling tanks with volatile liquids, such as, for example, gasoline, the customary procedure heretofore has been to merely open the tank and position the nozzle of a fill pipe therein and permit the volatile liquid to mn therefrom into the tank. Where the liquid is of a highly volatile nature, vapors are developed in the tank and are expelled therefrom by the risingy of the liquid level. These vapors have heretofore been allowed to escape freely into the atmosphere which is objectionable, not only from the fire hazard standpoint, but also from the standpoint of air contamination. it is desirable to recover these vapors, recompress them, and thus save them, and at the same time prevent contamination of the surrounding atmosphere.

The filling openings in tanks of tank trucks which are usually employed to transport these liquids do not have filling openings of uniform sizes. Also, in many instances the ll pipe that is introduced into the filling opening of the tank is vertically stationary, whereas as the load on the tank truck increases the tank tends to settle relatively thereto, due to the fiexing of the springs on the tank truck.

It is desirable to provide a dome which will form an effective seal against the edges of the filling opening in the tank, regardless of the size or shape of the filling opening within limits, and which will effectively prevent the escape of the vapors. It is also desirable to form an effective seal between the dome and the fill pipe which is automatically adjustable to compensate for the settling of the tank truck as the tank truck becomes loaded. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dorne which will adequately meet these requirements.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in lthe appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the improved dome, illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which an effective seal is established with the edges of the filling opening in the tank; and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 2 2 upon Fig. l.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved dome consists of a supporting plate preferably made up of upper and lower spiders and 11, having radial arms 12 joined by a surrounding band 13 and connected together at their inner ends by a` hub 14. Between these spiders there is positioned a trans- ICC parent plate 15 which provides windows between the arms 12 through which the interior of the tank T may be observed. Tlhe spiders are preferably formed of a material relatively inert to the liquid that is to be introduced into the tank T, and for this purpose we find that rigid koroseal is quite suitable.

Secured to the band 13 there is a flexible skirt 16, and a material suitable for this purpose is unpigmented paraline, which has its upper edge cemented or otherwise secured to the band 13, as indicated at 17'. The bottom of this skirt is reversely folded on itself to provide a hem 18 into which is introduced a cable 19. One end of the cable is anchored within the hem 18 and the remainder of the cable is extended around the hem to the anchoring point and then is passed through a metal tube 20, which is secured to one of the arms 12 of the spiders.

A tubular member 21 extends upwardly from the spider in which a handle 22 is reciprocable. This handle is secured to the cable and when the handle is depressed it serves to force cable from the tube 20 into the hem 18, thus expanding the bottom edge of the skirt from the full line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position. When the skirt is in the dotted .line position it will be observed that it is expanded into engagement with the edges of the filling opening F in the tank T, and although the sizes and shapes of the filling opening may vary in different tanks, the skirt will conform itself thereto and form a seal which is effective to prevent the escape of vapors.

A tubular member 23 is secured to the hub 14 and extends upwardly therefrom and provides an aperture through which the filling pipe P may be extended. On the top of the tubular member, there is a bellows 24 preferably formed of paraline, or similar material. This bellows is secured to the tubular member and carries at its upper end a strap clamp 25 that can be tightened about the pipe P. On the side of the tubular member 23 there is a vapor outlet 26 to which a hose for recovering the vapors may be connected.

In using the apparatus, the skirt 16 of the dome is inserted in the filling opening F of the tank T and the bottom of the skirt is expanded by forcing the handle 22 downwardly. The pipe P is then inserted through the bellows 24 and the strap clamp 25, and the strap clamp is then tightened about the pipe. The liquid with which the tank T is to be filled is then discharged from the pipe into the tank. The vapors that are developed in the tank rise within the dome and are carried ofi through the vapor outlet 26 and through a hose connected thereto to a compressor or other means of recovery. As `the load in the tank T increases this may be effective to flex the springs on the tank truck and cause the tank to descend or settle slightly. This settling movement is permitted by the mere expansion of the bellows 24 so that the strap clamp 25 may remain tight about the pipe P throughout the entire filling operation, and need not be disturbed. When the filling operation has been completed the strap clamp is loosened and the pipe P can be withdrawn. On lifting the handle 22 the skirt can be contracted and the dome removed.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that an improved dome is provided for recovering vapors developed in the course of filling tanks with volatile liquids.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A vapor recovery dome for use in filling tanks with volatile liquid comprising a supporting plate having a flexible skirt secured thereto, means for expanding the bottom of the skirt to engage the walls of a filling opening in a tank, there being an opening in the plate through which a ll pipe may be extended, means on the plate for forming a seal about the fill pipe, and means for conducting olr volatile vapors rising beneath the plate and within the skirt.

2. In a vapor recovery dome for use in lling tanks with volatile liquid, a supporting plate having a exible skirt secured thereto, a hem at the bottom edge of the skirt, a cable extended through the hem and anchored at one end therein, a tube through which the other end of the cable is extended from a point adjacent the anchored end thereof, said tube being secured to the plate, and means for forcing the cable into the hem or withdrawing it therefrom to expand and contract the skirt.

3. In combination with a lill pipe adapted to discharge volatile liquids into tanks through openings therein, a flexible skirt mounted on the lill pipe so as to surround the same and adapted to be inserted into the opening in a tank along with the fill pipe, means for mechanically expanding the skirt to cause the skirt to form a sealing engagement with the walls of the opening in the tank, and means for conducting off vapors which rise Within the skirt from within the tank.

4. In combination with a lill pipe adapted to discharge volatile liquids into tanks through openings therein, a flexible skirt mounted on the ll pipe so as to surround the same and adapted to be inserted into the opening in a tank along with the ll pipe, means for mechanically expanding the bottom of the skirt to cause the skirt to form a sealing engagement with the walls of the opening in the tank, and means for conducting ott vapors which rise within the skirt from within the tank.

5. In combination with a till pipe adapted to discharge volatile liquids into tanks through openings therein, a llexible skirt, a windowed plate mounted on the ll pipe to which the flexible skirt is connected, said skirt and till pipe being adapted to be inserted together into an opening in a tank, means for mechanically expanding the skirt operable through the widowed plate, and means for conducting off vapors which rise within the skirt from within the tank.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,893,979 Barrere Jan. 10, 1933 2,308,073 Hagerty Jan. 12, 1943 2,405,170 Troxler Aug. 6, 1946 2,437,385 Holford l- Mar. 9, 1948 

